A Pirate's Life For Me? Curse of the Black Pearl
by GregsMadHatter
Summary: Erin Daniels and Rachel Stratton lived normal lives in London, but when they get kidnapped and swept away to the Caribbean, they are saved by the Black Pearl and soon discover that they are not who they thought they were. WillOC, JackOC AU NAME SPELL DIFF
1. Chapter 1

**Title: A Pirate's Life…For Me? **

**Summary: Erin Daniels and Rachel Stratton lived normal lives in London, but when they get kidnapped and swept away to the Caribbean, they are saved by the **_**Black Pearl**_** and soon discover that they are not who they thought they were. WillOC, JackOC**

**Spoilers: Set before and during COTBP**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. I only own Erin and Rachel.**

**A/N: Sorry, but Elizabeth never existed in this story.**

**Chapter 1**

It was the middle of a warm summer in London, England. Boys would go outside to play football and roll in the dirt. Girls would often go out to their gardens and learn to sew with their mothers. But there were two girls who refused to do anything of the sort. The older of the two was Rachel Stratton. Rachel was eighteen with jet black hair and hazel eyes. Rachel enjoyed the warm summer breeze against her skin and the peacefulness that the sea brought to her. Her mother had died when she was a mere child, leaving her in a family of all boys. Rachel was very laid back and thoughtful. She would think things through before acting. And then there was Erin Pace. Erin was only twelve years old, but she acted like she was sixteen. Her father died six years ago, leaving only one child to inherit his wealth, and that was Erin. With brown hair and chestnut eyes, it was hard to find any boy that didn't like her. Unlike Rachel, Erin was very outgoing and trouble. What got her in trouble the most was acting on impulses instead of thinking of the consequences. Everyday, the two girls would escape to the ocean and sit beneath the same apple tree. That day in mid-August, Rachel sat at the base of the tree reading Turn of the Screw while Erin sat in the branches picking apples off the branches and either eating them or throwing them at any boy that dared try to make a move on either of them. As Rachel turned another page, an apple fell and hit her on the head. "Ow! Erin, what was that for?" she yelled, looking at her dear friend resting against the trunk.

"What was what for?" smiled Erin, her horns showing.

"Why did you drop that apple on my head?"

"I did no such thing. Lest you forget, we are in an apple tree and apples do fall. It's called gravity!"

"Yeah, well warn me next time 'gravity' decides to fall."

"Aye-aye captain!" replied Erin.

That was the one bad thing about Erin. All her life, Erin had wanted nothing more than to be a pirate. As Rachel knew, this was a dangerous dream, one that could cost Erin her life. Rachel had tried to persuade Erin many times to get a new dream, but Erin was too stubborn. As Rachel shook her head and returned to her book, Erin smiled and looked up. What she saw next wiped the smile from her face. "Rachel, what if I was to tell you that there were three strange men with ropes approaching us?"

"I would tell you that I'm never buying you another pint of ale," replied Rachel without looking from her book.

"Well, let's say I was serious…what then?"

With that, Rachel slammed her book shut and shouted to Erin's face, "I would tell you to become that pirate you want to be so badly and fight them off."

Rachel was about to turn back to her book when he asked, "Out of curiosity, why do you ask?"

"Because there are three men with ropes two feet away from you," replied Erin.

"What?" said Rachel as she turned and saw three men with ropes running towards them. "Run!" shouted Rachel as she stood up and punched the closest man to her in the stomach.

As the man doubled over in pain, Rachel ran off in the opposite direction. As she continued running, Rachel heard Erin cry, "Get your bloody hands off of me!"

Rachel turned around and saw Erin stuck in the tree and the three men surrounding her. Quickly, Rachel began to run to the tree when Erin called out, "No! You keep going! I'll be f-AHHH!"

One man had grabbed a hold of Erin's foot and pulled her to the ground. When Erin had hit the ground, Rachel saw that Erin had been knocked unconscious and a cut had formed over her left eyebrow. "No one touches her!" shouted Rachel.

With fury in her eyes, Rachel went to strike them when one man grabbed a hold of her neck and pinned her against the tree. "Well, well, well, look who wants to be a hero," laughed the man as the other tied Erin's hands behind her back.

As one of them lifted Erin over his shoulders and carried her off, the other came up and bound Rachel's hands together. After the knot was tied, the two men dragged Rachel off towards the beach. Rachel watched as the man carrying Erin threw her into the long boat. When Rachel and her captors arrived at the boat, they threw her in and rowed them out to a ship. It was a dark, haunting ship that instilled fear into Rachel's heart. When they reached the ship, they hauled their two captives on board and their man in charge ordered, "Throw them in the hold."

The two men smiled as they carried Rachel and Erin into the hold and threw them on the hard ground. As soon as Rachel and Erin were inside their captors shut the door and locked it tight. As soon as they were in the dark, Rachel looked at Erin and whispered, "Erin?"

But Erin didn't budge. Taking in a deep breath, Rachel rolled onto her back and worked her hands around her legs and brought them in front of her. As soon as her hands were in front of her, Rachel crawled behind Erin and untied her hands. After Erin was free, Rachel began to bite at her own bonds. Soon enough, she was free. Although they were free, their prison was far from home. There was nothing they could do to escape.

TBC…

**Please R&R!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

For two months, Rachel and Erin, who remained unconscious, sailed on the open sea, starving and thirsty. All hope seemed lost until the boat began to rock. Rachel woke up to the sound of a loud BOOM and the running of feet above them. Suddenly, another BOOM came, indicating that their ship was under attack. There was another BOOM and the wall to their prison gave way. Rachel saw that a huge hole had just formed in the side of the boat. Taking the opportunity, Rachel took Erin into her arms and jumped ship. As soon as they hit the water, their prison ship exploded and sunk to the bottom of the sea. As piece of driftwood floated by and Rachel quickly hoisted Erin and herself onto it. As Rachel clung to it, Erin slowly opened her eyes and muttered, "Rachel?"

"Erin! You're alright!"

"Where are we?"

Before Rachel could answer, a man's voice ordered, "Bring them aboard!"

Suddenly, two pairs of hands grabbed a hold of the back of their shirts and hauled them on board. As soon as they hit the deck, an old man with a grey beard approached them. "It's a strange fancy finding two maidens such as yerselves out here in the middle of the sea. What business do ye have out here?"

"Well…uh…you see…" began Rachel when the man looked Erin up and down. "What?" asked Erin.

"Captain, we have a wounded one!" sounded the man.

Just then, a very handsome man came bursting through the crown. "What is it, Barbossa?"

"This young miss has a severe wound to the head," replied Barbossa as he pointed to Erin.

The captain got up close and personal to Erin. "Bootstrap," shouted the captain, still in Erin's face.

"Aye sir?" asked the man formerly known as Bootstrap."

"Take these two ladies into me cabin. Treat this young one's wound and get them some fresh clothes. I'll be in shortly."

"Aye sir," replied Bootstrap as he helped Rachel and Erin up and into the large cabin. As soon as they walked in, they saw that the room was decorated with candles and gold. After Bootstrap closed the door, he took Erin by the arm and sat her down on a chair. With one swift motion, Bootstrap pulled out a dark scarf and said, "This may hurt a bit."

And with that, Bootstrap pressed the rag firmly on Erin's wound. Erin winced in pain as he held it there firmly. "Can you hand me the green bandana?" asked Bootstrap.

Rachel looked around and saw a green bandana on the table next to Bootstrap. Quickly, she handed the cloth to the pirate and watched as he tiled it around Erin's head in place of his bloody cloth. What was extraordinary was the fact that Bootstrap had made it look more like a pirate headband rather than a bandage and made Erin look more like a pirate. As soon as the knot was tied, Bootstrap stood up and left to retrieve new clothes, leaving Rachel and Erin alone. "Can you believe this?" asked Rachel.

"I know…we're on a bloody pirate ship!" smiled Erin.

"Can you be serious for one moment? We're in a lot of trouble, we need to find a way back to England."

"Why? We would fit in better here."

"When did you start worrying about fitting in?"

"Very funny, Rachel. This is my chance. You can go ahead and find a way back to England. I'm going to stay here."

Just then, Bootstrap came back in carrying tow bundles of clothing and two pairs of boots. "Thank you, Bootstrap," smiled Rachel.

"IS your name REALLY Bootstrap?" asked Erin, earning her an elbow in the ribs.

"No. That's what everyone calls me. My real name is William Turner."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Mr. Turner. I'm Rachel Stratton," smiled Rachel.

"Erin Daniels. It's a pleasure to meet you," said Erin.

Bootstrap seemed to have found their names quite shocking. Whether it was because he may have had a bit too much rum or because their names were legendary were a complete mystery to the girls. But Bootstrap shook the shock away and replied, "Well, it's a pleasure to meet both of you. You know, I have a son around your age, Erin."

"Really? What's his name?" asked Erin.

But before Bootstrap could reply, Barbossa's voice called, "Bootstrap! We need yer assistance on deck!"

"Aye-aye!" replied Bootstrap as he walked out onto the deck, leaving Erin and Rachel in confusion. "Did you see the way he stared at us when we told him our names?" asked Erin.

"Yeah, but that's not important right now. Let's get changed," suggested Rachel.

And the clothes were breathtaking. Rachel's outfit consisted of a dirty white blouse, a blue overcoat, a large leather belt over her shoulders, black trousers, a belt on her waist over a white sash, a pirate hat and black boots with 3 inch heels. Erin's was a bit different. Erin had a dirty white blouse as well with a black overcoat, a large leather belt over her shoulders and another belt over a red sash on her waist, black trousers and black boots with 3 inch heels. "Wow, I feel like a real pirate!" smiled Erin.

As Rachel laughed at Erin, the door opened to reveal the captain. "I hope you find these suitable," he smiled.

"More than suitable," replied Erin.

"Excuse me, but would you mind telling me who you are?" asked Rachel.

"My apologies. Me name is Captain Jack Sparrow. And you would be?"

"I'm Rachel Stratton and this pain in the neck is Erin Daniels."

Just like Bootstrap, Jack's eyes widened with shock. Why was everyone looking at them like that? "Rachel and Erin, eh? Interesting, very interesting…very fortunate, yes, very fortunate indeed. Well, I have a proposition for both of you. How would you two like to join my crew and said the seven seas?"

Before Erin could answer, Rachel asked, "What do we get in return?"

"10% of the profit, thrill of being a pirate, under my protection and freedom from the binding services of law, savvy?"

"I'm in!" blurted Erin.

Rachel quickly turned and glared at Erin. "Brilliant! What say you?" asked Jack.

After heaving a long sigh, Rachel replied, "Alright, I'm in."

"Wonderful! Now, if you two would follow me, I'll get you squared away with some equipment," smiled Jack.

Jack led Rachel and Erin down below deck to the artillery where many swords and pistols lay. Looking around, Jack handed Erin 2 swords and 2 pistols. He was about to hand 2 swords to Rachel when she said, "One sword will be sufficient, thanks."

Erin couldn't help but laugh as Jack looked at her puzzled. After they had been given their weapons, Jack led them on deck to where William Turner was working. "Mr. Turner!"

"Aye, sir?"

"I want you to keep a sharp eye on these two ladies. Show them what it means to be a true pirate."

"Aye, captain."

As Jack walked away, William turned to Rachel and Erin to say, "Do you know how to wield your weapons?"

"Uh…well," began Erin.

"Of course not," replied Rachel.

"Well, ye can't be though of as a real pirate until you can instill fear into the hearts of yer enemies. That is where we will begin."

William took a step back and pulled out his sword. "Wielding a sword is not all that complicated. There are two edges. The sharp side is for thrusting and attack. The blunt side of the sword is for defending yourselves. Rachel, why don't we start with you?"

Erin smiled and pushed Rachel forward. As Rachel stumbled forward, she took out her sword. "Now, we're going to start slow."

In slow motion, William thrust his word at her. Rachel tried to defend herself, but her sword fell from her hand. Erin smiled as William sheathed his sword and handed Rachel her sword back. "You have to hold it much more firmly."

As Rachel took the sword, William walked up behind her and held her arm. "If someone comes at you, you move your arm like this."

And with that, Bootstrap directed Rachel's arm in the correct movement, followed by an attack thrust. After going over it several more times, William said, "You keep practicing that. It be your turn, Erin."

With a smile on her face, Erin pulled out both of her swords. "Uh…Erin?" asked Rachel.

"Are ye sure ye want to start with 2 swords?"

"Aye! Don't hold back, now."

Shaking his head, William lunged at Erin and Rachel stood in awe as Erin showed off pure swordsmanship. When Erin knocked William's sword away, Rachel asked, "How did you know how to do that?"

"Uh…well…you see, one night I sneaked into a blacksmith's shop and practiced until the sun came up. I did this for about a weak," smiled Erin.

Anger flustered through Rachel, seeing as that she had told Erin that if she ever caught Erin out after dark, she was going to kill her. In one swift motion, Rachel pulled out her sword and began to fight with Erin, exhibiting sharp sills. William stood amazed as Rachel finally managed to knock both swords away. "Whoa, how did you…" began Erin as she stared at Rachel's blade in front of her face and her hands held up in surrender.

"I know how. She has to have a purpose in order to fight," finished William.

"How boring," muttered Erin.

As Rachel cast her evil look and lowered her sword, William gave a small smile and stated, "Maybe having a purpose to fight is better than having no purpose at all."

"What's your purpose?" asked Rachel.

After a silent pause, he replied, "My son."

Before Erin could ask who his son was, Jack came up to them and ordered, "Mr. Turner, take your place at the helm."

"Aye-aye, sir," replied William as he walked away.

"You have the WORST timing, mate," growled Erin.

Jack just smiled at Erin and replied, "Common tide, love. Now, let's put you to work. I want Rachel to man the starboard rail. Abby here…"

"Erin!"

"Whatever! I want you to stay in the Crow's nest so you can get out of me hair."

Erin stood in disgust as Jack walked away. Rachel just laughed as she patted Erin on the shoulder and followed after Jack. After regaining her composure, Erin sulked off to the Crow's nest humming,

_Yo ho, yo ho_

_A pirate's life for me_

_We extort we pilfer_

_We filch, we sack,_

_Drink up me hearties, yo ho_

_We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hot_

_Drink up me hearties yo ho._

_Yo ho, yo ho,_

_A pirate's life for me_

TBC…

**Please R&R!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

For the next two years, the two girls had embraced the life of a pirate. Their speech changed, their outlook on life changed and their life seemed one big adventure. But one unexpected event came that they never saw coming. It was late one night on the _Black Pearl_. Rachel was on deck, keeping watch for anything unexpected. Erin was asleep in her hammock as two figures approached her. As she slept peacefully, one of the men they knew as Ragetti placed his hand over her mouth, causing her eyes to shoot open. As she let out a muffled scream, the other man, Pintel, smiled, " 'Ello, poppet."

The tow pirates hauled her onto the deck. On the deck, Rachel was pacing at the helm when Barbossa came up behind her and covered her mouth. "Evening, Miss Stratton," he laughed as he hauled her down the stairs.

As they stepped down the stairs, Rachel watched as Pintel and Ragetti hauled a bound Erin onto the deck. From the Captain's Quarters came two more pirates hauling Jack Sparrow out onto the deck. "Evening, Jack," smiled Barbossa.

"Hello, Hector. What do ye think you are doing, mate?" asked Jack as two men set the plank over the side.

"Relieving ye of your duties, Jack," replied Barbossa as he nodded at Pintel and Ragetti.

Giving a smile, they pushed Erin forward onto the plank. Rachel struggled out of Barbossa's grasp, but he was too strong for her. Jack quickly ran up to Barbossa and said, "You don't want to be doing this, mate."

"No, I really think I do," replied Barbossa as he turned and nodded at his crew once more. As he nodded, a tall black man stomped on the board, sending Erin into the sea. "Erin!" cried Rachel as Barbossa threw her aside.

Barbossa, now free of Rachel took Jack by the back of the neck and pulled him forward. "You've been a poor captain, Jack."

As Jack stood next to Barbossa, Barbossa pulled out both Jack's and Erin's weapons. "You each get a pistol with a single shot. Try and talk yer way out of this one."

Barbossa flung the weapons into the ocean and pushed Jack onto the plank. Jack, being the drunk he was, immediately lost his balance and fell in after Erin. The crew roared with laughter as Barbossa turned to the two pirates holding Rachel. "Lock her in the brig."

The two pirates smiled as they led Rachel down into the brig. Barbossa stood at the railing, watching Jack and Erin struggle to land. As the _Black Pearl_ sailed away, Jack and Erin walked onto the shore, untying themselves. As Erin kicked up a pile of sand, Jack turned and watched as his ship sailed away. "Well, this is brilliant!" snickered Erin as she looked up to Jack, nudging him hardly on his shoulder.

"OW! What the bloody hell was that for?"

"Tell me, captain, what sort of idiotic thing did you do to him to make him abandon us here?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Oh, so he left us here for fun, did he? He initiated a mutiny for laughs, did he? Barbossa doesn't do anything for no reason, Jack. So tell me, what did you do this time? Did ye make a rather rude comment to insult him? Threaten him with a sword, did ye? Or did you make a stupid mistake, you git?" sneered Erin, pushing Jack with anger.

"No, I didn't do any of that."

"Then what did ye do, Jack? Give Barbossa the bearings to la Isla de Muerta, did ye?"

Jack began to fiddle with his fingers and looked away. "You didn't give Barbossa the bearings, did you?"

"Maybe," was his reply.

Just then, a hard punch collided with Jack's face. "What were you thinking, you bloody git!? Or were you even thinking?"

Giving it some thought, Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Why did I have to be stuck on this island with you of all people?" muttered Erin as she sat on the white sand and took off her pirate boots, allowing the warm sand to interact with her feet.

TBC…

**Please R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Meanwhile, the _Black Pearl_ had made its way back to Tortuga for supplies. Rachel was sitting in the brig, trying to think of a way out. Looking around, she spotted the keys on the pillar in front of her and her weapons next to it. Pintel and Ragetti were fast asleep, allowing Rachel enough time to remove two hairpins from her hair and pick the lock. As soon as the door was open, Rachel grabbed her effects and slipped off of the _Black Pearl_. As soon as she had hit the deck, she spotted a man with brown hair walking towards her. "'Ello?" she asked.

"Are you Rachel Stratton?"

"Aye?"

"I'm Joshamee Gibbs. Jack has told me many a tales about you."

"Jack? Is he here? What about Erin?"

"I'm afraid not. You see, word has just reached my ears that Jack and Erin had been mutinied."

"Aye. And I must go and fin them. Do you know of any free dinghies?"

"Aye, there be one down on the beach."

"Thank ye, Gibbs. It was a pleasure meeting you."

Rachel gave Gibbs a hug and ran down to the beach where she spotted a little dinghy. Quickly, she ran it into the water and sailed off in the direction of Jack and Erin.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For four days, Jack and Erin had stretched each other's nerves to the end. On the fourth morning, Jack was about to shoot Erin when they spotted a ship sailing towards them. Jack and Erin waved them down and were surprised to see that the ship belonged to Ana-Maria. "What happened to ye?" she asked.

"Barbossa," gritted Erin.

"Would you mind dropping us off in Tortuga, mate?" asked Jack.

"No problem. We were heading that way anyway."

Their two day voyage finally came to an end when they landed in Tortuga. As soon as they got off of the ship, Ana-Maria walked up to Erin, asking, "Erin, do you have any longing in returning to the sea?"

"Aye?"

"How would you like to take command of my ship, _The Unmerciful Diamond_? I have all the gold I need."

Erin stared at Ana-Maria in confusion. "Are ye sure?"

"Absolutely. Do we have an accord?" asked Ana-Maria as she held out her hand.

Erin smiled and shook her hand. "Done! You're a diamond, mate. Would you let Jack…"

"No problem. Now, off ye go."

Quickly, Erin boarded _The Unmerciful Diamond_ and in a matter of minutes, she was sailing off.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rachel had just returned from her unsuccessful voyage to save Erin and Jack when Gibbs ran up to her. "Rachel, Jack has returned! He's in the pub!"

"What? What about Erin?"

"She's on her own ship pirating, but she'll be back. Now come on, Jack'll be glad to see you."

Quickly, Rachel ran through the streets of Tortuga and into the pub where she saw Jack at the bar. "Jack!"

Jack looked up and smiled when he saw Rachel running towards him. After they embraced in a friendly hug, Rachel asked, "How did you get off the island?"

"Sea-turtles, mate."

"Any idea when Erin'll be back?"

"No, but I reckon she'll be back soon."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Erin was in the middle of a fierce storm. Waves crashed against the sides of the _The Unmerciful Diamond_, rocking the ship back and forth. As she continued to battle the waves, she did not notice the ghostly ship come up behind her and open fire until it was too late. The cannon blasts hit the side of the ship, causing wood ships to fly everywhere. Erin was about to hard a larboard when a cannon blast hit the center mast, causing it to collapse. Erin stood in shock as fishy creatures began to appear and claim the crew. One approached Erin and sneered, "Down on your marrowbones and pray."

But Erin pulled out her sword and fought off the fishy people. Many flew from her, fearing for their honor and skills. Just as Erin thought the battle was won, a hard blow rendered her unconscious. Only a few more moments later, Erin found herself in the presence of one man that every pirate feared. "Tell me, do you fear death?"

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

As the sun rose, a small boat floated into the boundaries of Port Royal. Inside was a very tired Erin, asleep from the sun draining her of her energy. But as she rocked among the waves, she awoke to see three pirates hung by their necks and a sign saying, "Pirates, ye be warned." "Friendly and welcoming…how fun," muttered Erin as she floated towards the dock.

As soon as her boat had hit the dock, a man approached her and ordered, "It's a shilling to tie your boat up at the dock, and I shall need to know your name."

Shaking her head, Erin handed the man a shilling and replied, "Me name be Erin Daniels. I'm from the Catholic Church."

"Ah, welcome to Port Royal, Miss Daniels."

Erin gave a slight bow and walked away. When Erin was about to pass the podium where the dock master kept his book, Erin spotted his coin bag and muttered, "You can have my shilling, I'll take all of yours."

Erin grabbed the bag and tucked it into her belt. As she continued walking down the streets, it wasn't long before Erin had "bumped" into a naval officer. "Watch where you're going, mate," she shouted as she came face-to-face with the man.

The man had a handsome complexion, but definitely not to Erin's liking. However, he seemed to be transfixed on Erin. "Oh, I'm sorry, Miss. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"May I ask your name?"

"Oh, I'm Erin, Erin Daniels. And, ye are?"

"Captain James Norrington. You are here in Port Royal for…?"

"Business, actually. I expect to be staying for quite some time, to tell ye the truth."

"Well, if you ever need anything while you're here…"

"I'll know exactly who to go to. Thank ye, mate."

Norrington gave a small bow as he walked away. As soon as he rounded the corner, two voices shouted, "Hey beautiful, ignore that big headed Captain. He don't care about no one but hisself."

"Yeah, you should come with us. We'll show you a good time," said the other man as they walked up to her.

Erin wheeled around and replied, "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't go anywhere near drunken idiots such as yerself."

Erin was about to push past them when one of them grabbed her by the arm and sneered, "Oh look, the girly knows how to play."

"Oh, ye have no idea," replied Erin as she swung her free hand and punched the man in the face. The man quickly let go of Erin, allowing her to run off. "Oi! Get back here, you!"

Erin didn't bother to turn around. She knew they were behind her. She had to find a place to hide. Looking around, she ducked into a large building. After she had closed the door behind her, Erin found herself inside a blacksmith shop. Walking in a bit further, Erin saw a gold coin necklace lying on a barrel. It must have been worth a pretty penny cause what else would have driven her to stow it in her pocket. After it was safely in her pocket, a boy not much older than her came from the back. "May I help you?" he asked.

Erin quickly spun around and came face to face with a boy with brown hair and brown eyes. "Oh, uh, I was just…" she began.

"Who is it, William?" came a booming voice. From the back of the shop came a round man with graying hair. "Oh, well hello, miss. What brings you to my shop?"

"Well, I was…actually, I've just arrived and…"

"Let me guess, you're in need of a job? Well, look no further, miss. I'm always willing to take in strays. Even ask young Master William, here. He just arrived her a few months ago."

William gave a weak smile as the blacksmith continued, "Why don't you who this fine young lady up to the loft and give her a tour of the shop."

And with that, the blacksmith was gone. "Don't mind Mr. Brown. He's a drunk. You barely see him."

Erin smiled as William led her around the shop. "So, what's our name?" he asked.

"Oh, Erin Daniels. You?"

"Will Turner."

"T…Turner?"

"Yeah." Erin was amazed. This was Bootstrap's son? It was so amazing on how much he looked like Bootstrap. "Well, Mr. Turner, It's a pleasure to meet you," smiled Erin as she held out her hand.

"Call me Will," he replied as he took her hand and smiled back, "Erin."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the next eight years, Erin remained in Port Royal as the blacksmith's apprentice. However, Rachel and Jack searched the Caribbean for Erin, only to come up short handed. It seemed that Erin had disappeared from the face of the Earth. No one had seen or heard from Erin or her ship, _The Unmerciful Diamond._ For all they could know, she was dead. Rachel had changed drastically. Her hair had grown longer and she was taller. As she sat at the table in the cabin she and Jack shared in Tortuga, she heaved a sigh and rested her head on her arms. Erin was gone, probably dead. Pirating was a dangerous business. She would be lucky if a pirate capture her ship and all he did after that was kill her. As she rested there, the drunken Captain Jack staggered in with a smile on his face. "Oi, Rachel."

Slowly, Rachel lifted her head and looked at him. "What is it, Jack?"

"I've just gotten word that they saw _The Unmerciful Diamond_ head towards Florida eight years ago."

"What?"

"Aye. So, since there be no ships in the port, I have borrowed us a longboat from a friend so that we may sail to a port, commandeer a ship and find Erin."

"Borrowed or stole?"

"Borrowed without permission, but with every intention of bringing it back."

"Right…but why are you doing this? I thought you hated Erin?"

"Oh, well, someone would be quite unhappy for sometime if they found out that I didn't take care of her like a I promised ten years ago."

Rachel gave Jack a giant hug. "I knew you were a good person, Jack."

And with that, Rachel ran out of the room, leaving in a state of happiness. With a sip in his step, Jack followed Rachel out to the small dinghy that awaited them. They were just about to push off when an angry female voice shouted, "JACK SPARROW!"

Rachel looked at Jack and ordered, "Push off!"

Jack untied the rope from the dock and jumped in just as Ana-Maria came running towards them. But by the time she reached the end of the dock, Jack and Rachel were long gone.

TBC…

**Please R&R!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Back in Port Royal, a taller, much older Erin stood over a beautiful sword, laying gold liquid into the handle. Once the gold was laid in, she placed it in cold water and brought it back out to reveal a beautiful hilt. Her brown hair fell around her face as she set the sword in the velvet box. She wore a white blouse and a black vest with black trousers and pirate boots. Hidden beneath her hair was the small scar from the events ten years ago. She was about to close the box when a voice stated, "That looks beautiful."

Erin smiled and turned to look at a much older Will Turner. Will was leaning against a pillar as he stared at Erin. "I thought you weren't feeling good," she laughed.

"I'm feeling a bit better. Besides, I promised I would deliver the sword with you."

"It's alright, Will, I…"

"I keep the promises I make, Erin."

"That you do," she laughed. Quickly, she closed the box and handed it to Will. "I have to grab my jacket."

Quickly, Erin ran up to the loft and grabbed her jacket. She had just put it on when something fell out of her pocket. Slowly, she turned around to see the gold medallion staring at her. It was such a shiny thing that haunted her…partially because she knew it was a true pirate medallion. Poor Will…he had no idea. Maybe now was the time to tell him. So, Erin picked up the medallion and was about to stuff it in her pocket when she felt compelled to wear it. So, she placed it around her neck and tucked it under her shirt and came back downstairs. Once she reached the shop, she asked, "Shall we go?"

Will nodded as he put on his jacket, grabbed the case and followed Erin out of the shop. As they walked up to the Governor's mansion, Erin felt compelled to tell Will about his father, but revealing his father revealed herself. What would he think of her then? For the entire walk, Erin thought over whether or not to tell him. Finally, Will caught onto her silence and asked, "Erin, are you alright?"

"Aye, why do you ask?"

"Because it is not like you to stay quiet for this long."

Erin gave a small smile. That was something Rachel would have said to her. Rachel. It had been ten years since she had seen her best friend. Not a day went past without Erin thinking that maybe Rachel was out looking for her somewhere. Maybe there was a chance she could see her again. Answering quickly, Erin replied, "Oh, well, I was just thinking about my father."

Will turned and looked at Erin in confusion. "You're father? What made you think about him?"

"Well, you know how the governor treats me as a daughter for reasons unclear to me…just makes me think how my father would have treated me."

There was a silent pause between them. "My father died when I was a small child. I barely remember him."

That was partially a lie. She remembered him clearly, but this lie was part of a scheme to ease into telling Will about his own. "What about you? Do you remember your father?"

Will looked away from Erin and down at the ground. "My father was a merchant sailor. He left my mother and I went I was just a lad. After my mother died, I came out here to look for him."

And it was a good thing he never found him. Will was completely ignorant to who his father was. Maybe it was best not to tell him. "Do you think he is still alive?"

"I don't know. There's a part of me that wishes he is and another that says differently."

"And what do you believe?"

"I don't know."

Finally, they reached the gat to the Governor's Mansion that stood over all of Port Royal. One of the most important buildings of the little colony, the mansion presented itself as a place of power yet welcoming. Erin had visited the mansion on many occasions, courtesy of Governor Swann. Governor Weatherby Swann had taken a keen interest into the well being ever since Norrington told him of her. Since then, he had always treated her like his own daughter. Will led the way up to the door and knocked three times. The butler Erin knew as Alan answered an, in his monotone voice, asked, "May I help you?"

"We're here to deliver something to Governor Swann," replied Will.

"One moment, please. Do come in."

Alan stood aside to allow Erin and Will inside. Once inside, Alan closed the door and began to ascend the stairs towards the Governor's office. The foyer was overcome in silence. Not a word was said. That is, until Erin notices Will examining the candle fixture. "Will, what are you doing?"

"Look at this craftsmanship. Perfectly smoothed over and very sturdy," he replied when the stick he was touching broke off.

Erin suppressed a giggle as Will looked at it in shock. "Oh yes, incredibly sturdy," she laughed.

Footsteps sounded from the living room. Will was about to stuff it in his pocket but instead placed it in the umbrella rack. Another butler came strolling out; carrying a tray of orderves as Governor Swann came striding down the stairs. "Ah, Mr. Turner, Ms. Daniels. It's good to see you again."

As Will approached the table, he greeted, "Good day, sir. We have your order."

Will opened the box to allow the shimmer of the sword to catch the Governor's glance. Gently, Will took the sword out of the box and handed it to the Governor. As Governor Swann took the sword from the sheath, Erin stated, "The blade is folded steel. That's gold filger laid into the handle."

The governor gave a look of admiration to the handle as Will held out his hands and asked, "If I may?"

Governor Swann handed the sword to Will, who held the blade by two fingers, balancing it. "Perfectly balanced. The tang is nearly full width of the blade."

And with that, Will flipped it into the air and caught it with skill. Governor Swann laughed in amazement as Will handed it back to him. "Impressive, very impressive. Commodore Norrington is going to be very pleased," he said as he sheathed it and handed it to Will.

As Will took the blade from the governor and sat it back inside its case, he closed it and the governor replied, "Do pass my compliments onto your master."

Will and Erin exchanged hurt glances. After all, they made the sword, but Will replied, "We shall. A craftsman is always pleased to hear his work is appreciated."

Will and Erin turned to leave when Governor Swann asked, "Miss Daniels, may I have a word with you?"

"Aye…Will, I'll meet you back at the forge."

Once Will had left, Erin asked, "What did you want to talk to me about, sir?"

"Come now, Erin, there is no need to be polite."

"If you don't mind, sir, but I would much rather call you sir."

"Very well. I have a gift for you. Follow me."

The governor led Erin up the stairs into the spare bedroom. On the bed was a very decorative box. "That's for me?"

Governor Swann simply nodded. With a smile, Erin ran in and removed the top from the box. Inside was a beautiful dress, adorned in gold and blue. "It's beautiful," she muttered.

"I thought you might like it."

Slowly, Erin turned around and asked, "But, why did you get me this?"

"Because today is Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony. He is about to become Commodore, as you know. I was quite hoping you would come with me to the ceremony."

"Me? Go to the ceremony? Why me?"

"Because you remind me so much of her."

"Of who?"

"Victoria, my wife. She had such a free spirit, just like yourself."

Erin had to smile on the inside. She highly doubted that Governor Swann's wife was EXACTLY like her. "I'm not sure, sir. I mean…"

But the eyes of Governor Swann changed her mind. "I guess it won't hurt to go."

"Excellent. Now, Alice and Marie will help you to get ready."

Once the Governor stepped aside, the two maids led Erin behind the dressing curtain and helped her into the petticoat. She had heard that petticoats were tight, but she could barely breathe. But she didn't dare tell the governor that. After the dress was on, she came from behind the curtain. "You look absolutely beautiful," he smiled.

Erin gave a smirk to hide her discomfort. Together, Governor Swann and Erin rode in the carriage up to the fort. Lords and Ladies had gathered here to celebrate the promotion of one James Norrington, someone Erin had known that had taken a liking to her. Governor Swann introduced Erin to many of the rich families in Port Royal and she immediately felt out of place. She was a blacksmith-slash-pirate. The band began to play, signaling the start of the ceremony.

At sea, Rachel was overlooking a set of charts while drinking a bottle of rum. After taking another look, Rachel slammed down her first and cursed under her breath. "Jack, how can we be sure Erin hasn't left Florida?"

"We can't, but that is our safest bet. You know her best, what would she do?"

"Think like yerself, it will come to you," stated Rachel as she looked up at the top of the mast where Jack was standing. As she stared at him, she could see Jack's look of disgust cover his face. Once Rachel had finished her fit of laughter, she felt a soppyness in her boots. Slowly, she looked down and saw the bottom of the boat flowing with water. "Uh, Jack, apparently there's a leak."

Jack looked down to see what Rachel meant and once he saw the water, he grabbed the rope and splashed onto the deck. "Grab a bucket and help me get the water out!" he ordered.

As he began to throw water over the side, Rachel stated, "Jack, the sea is endless. Throwing out the water isn't going to help."

But when Rachel turned to get Jack's answer, she saw him standing up looking at something with his hat over his black heart. "Uh, Earth to Jack, do ye have a plan to not get us drowned?"

Quickly, Jack spun around and replied, "Indeed I do."

And with that, Jack climbed the mast and stood at the top. Laughing, Rachel asked, "Is that all you can think of?"

"Ye have a better idea?"

Rachel rolled her eyes as she climbed the mast and stood with Jack. Their ride into the port did not go unnoticed. Merchant sailors and fishermen alike stared in confusion as the pair sailed in on a sinking ship. As they got closer to the dock, Rachel turned to Jack and said, "Brilliant, now the whole port will know we are here. Very suttle, Jack."

Jack just smirked as they reached the port without getting wet. They were walking across the dock when the dock master shouted, "Oi, hold up, you two!"

Rolling her eyes, Rachel and Jack turned around as the man walked up to them. "It is a shilling to tie up your boat at the dock."

Taken back, they looked at the boat that sat at the bottom of the water. Shaking her head, Rachel looked back as the man added, "And I shall need to know both of your names."

Jack smiled and pulled out a handful of shillings. "Here's a shilling for the boat," he stated, putting the shilling in the man's book.

"And what do you say to four more shillings…and we forget the names?"

Rachel could see the greed in the man's eyes. Smiling, he replied, "Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. and Ms. Smith."

Jack bowed as they walked away. As they rounded the corner, Jack picked up the bag of shillings and Rachel stated, "If only Erin was here. That would be something she would do."

"Well, fortunately she isn't here. Let's just commandeer a ship and be gone with this place," sneered Jack as they headed to the lower docks, unaware that Erin was only mere blocks from where they were standing.

TBC…

**Please R&R!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Erin had always heard how boring award ceremonies really were and now, she had a first hand experience to back her up. She was curious as to why people agreed to go to these things. All they ever did was stand around and watch as the newly promoted officer gained a sword…HER sword, twirl it around and take his oath. How boring. Once the ceremony was finished, everyone began to mingle and talk amongst themselves. Erin, on the other hand, stood in the shadows near the entrance to the bell. She didn't belong here. Completely ignoring she was in a fancy dress, she leant against the stones and watched as everyone went up to the Commodore to congratulate him. As she stood watching in disgust, the governor approached her. "Thank you for coming," he smiled.

Erin turned and replied, "You're quite welcome. Do you think we can leave any time soon?"

The Governor smiled and replied, "Not yet, I have to talk to the Cunninghams about some business. Once I am done with that, we may leave."

As the Governor left, Erin didn't notice that the Commodore had come up behind her. When she turned around, she was now face to face with him. "Commodore," she smiled weakly.

"May I have a word with you?"

Erin nodded and followed the Commodore to the bell which stood overlooking the port. The two walked up next to the bell and Erin leant back against the stone, catching her breath. The damn corset was too tight. "You look lovely this evening," he smiled.

Erin returned the smile, rolling her eyes as he turned away. "This promotion rose into shock in relief to which I have not yet achieved."

When Norrington turned around to look at her, she soon began to realize what was coming. "Marriage to a fine woman."

Erin held up her hand and stated, "Before you say anything, I know what you are going to say next…and I'm going to have to decline. Trust me, ye don't want me to be in the same house as you."

"And why would that be?"

Working around the truth, she replied, "Because I am probably the least ladylike out of everyone here in Port Royal. I'm sorry, Commodore, but I'm saying no."

The Commodore nodded and replied in gloom, "That is quite alright. You have a pleasant evening."

As he walked away, Erin sighed in relief. Nothing good was going to come out of her saying yes. After all; she was a pirate and he hated pirates. Once Norrington was gone, Governor Swann returned. "What was that all about?"

Erin walked up to him and said, "I think it's time we left."

Governor Swann complied and together, the two made their way to the carriage and back to the mansion. The carriage ride was very quiet, not one of them saying anything to the other. Once they reached the mansion, Erin made her way up the stairs to the room that held her proper clothes. It didn't take her long to get out of the uncomfortable dress and back into her garb. Once she was back in her regular clothes, she made her way out the mansion and down to the smithy. For the entire walk, she thought of the events. _The only reason the Governor wanted me to come was for Norrington to propose. PROPOSE! TO ME! That would have been one hell of a wedding._ Finally, she arrived at the smithy and quickly walked in, shutting the door behind her. Once she was inside, she saw Will hard at work. The moment she walked in, his head turned to the door and his eyes brightened. "Where have you been?"

"Ye don't want to know."

After throwing her jacket onto the ground next to a pile of hay, she grabbed one of the sheets of metal in the fire and began to get to work. As she banged away furiously, Will came up next to her and asked, "What happened?"

Throwing her metal back into the fire, she turned and looked Will deep in the eye. "The Governor invited me to the ceremony so the newly appointed Commodore Norrington could propose. He did and I said no. Happy?"

Looking away, she walked to the opposite side of the smithy and hung her hammer on the rack with the rest of the tools, hoping Will would drop the subject. But he didn't. "Why would he…?"

"Because he's fancied me ever since I first arrived here. Can we just drop it?"

Will nodded, allowing Erin to turn back around and grab a set of tongs from the rack. As she went back to the furnace, Will's voice rang out, "You know, we were supposed to have a session after dropping off the sword."

"Well, some things came up and now I have to get this done," she replied without looking at him.

Of course, Will wasn't going to drop this either. "I'm sure you can take a break and get that done before tomorrow afternoon. You're one of the fastest workers I know."

Turning to look at him, she smiled, "Alright, but just for a bit."

Quickly, they each grabbed a sword off one of the racks and quickly spun, hitting their swords against each other, creating a loud _TWANG!_ They stood, each giving their fighting smirk. And then, Will made the first move and they were off. For the past eight years, Erin masked her swordsmanship by pretending that she was still learning. It wasn't all that hard. But for some reason, today she wasn't trying to mask it. When their swords met and they slid the blades so that they were closer than ever, Will stated, "You got really good overnight."

Realizing what she was doing, she pushed off and did a sloppy lunge. Will quickly blocked it and pushed the sword so that she stumbled backwards. She knew what her mistake was, but she pretended that she didn't. As she continued to stumble, Will came at her and knocked the sword from her hand. That final push sent her falling to the ground and Will pointed the sword at her chest. They both breathed heavily after their session and Erin heaved, "Guess not."

Will flipped his sword so that the hilt was facing Erin. Smiling, she grabbed it and he pulled her to her feet. Once they set the swords back on their respectable racks, Will stated, "We should probably do some work before supper."

Erin nodded in agreement and they went their separate ways, grabbing their projects and getting to work. All the while, Erin felt the medallion under her tunic and thought to herself, _That was close._

Meanwhile, Rachel and Jack stood on the top of a cliff, overlooking the port where all the ships were. As Jack would draw up plans with a stick in the dirt, Rachel would toy with him by brushing her foot over the plans. After the fifth time, Jack looked at her and growled, "You're not helping!"

"That idea was stupid anyway. The marines aren't that daft."

"Erin wouldn't have been brushing them away."

"No, she would be poking you with a stick and bothering the hell out of you."

Jack shook his head and went back to formulating a plot. As she sat there, bored out of her mind, she thought out loud, "What are you going to do about Ana-Maria's boat?"

"When that issue arises, I'll think of something."

Smiling, Rachel lent back and muttered under her breath, "Of course you will."

As she stared off, she watched as the sun began to set. She always loved how the sun would set over the ocean. It lit up the water and showed its true magnificence. Erin always loved how the sun reflected off the water. She remembered back at London how they would sit by the port and Erin would say, _"I can't wait to be a pirate! I'll be able to see this every morning and every night!"_

_"In your dreams, Erin."_

Now, Erin was probably long gone…probably caught by the marines and hung for piracy. Suddenly, a movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Sitting up, she saw two shadows making their way towards the cliff. Without saying anything, she closed her hand over Jack's mouth and dragged him into the bushes. Once they were concealed, she let go of Jack's mouth, allowing his voice to shout, "What in blazes…"

Before he could say anything else, she closed her hand over his mouth and whispered, "Shush! Someone's coming!"

After she was sure Jack was silenced, she peered through the bushes and watched as a man and a woman approached the cliff and sat down, their feet dangling over the rocks. The man looked in his early twenties and had shoulder-length brown hair tied back in a tail and facial hair while the woman looked around the same age with long, wavy brown hair. The man was dressed in a white tunic with a brown vest and brown pants and stockings while the woman wore a white tunic, black vest and black pants and boots. Something was amazingly familiar about the woman. And then, she heard them talking.

"Remember how we would come here as kids to get away from Mr. Brown?" asked the man.

"Of course! He would fall asleep drunk and we would sit here, watching the sun set."

"Did you do this often back in London?"

"Yeah. My father and I would sit and watch…until he died."

There was a silence, until it was broken by the man asking, "How did you end up here?"

The woman stared off at the ocean and replied, "Shipwreck. I was on a ship setting for the New World when it was attacked. I was the only survivor."

Something about her voice was all too familiar. The man looked at her and asked, "Can I tell you something?"

The woman turned to look at him and nodded. "I've been meaning to tell you this ever since I met you, Erin…"

Erin! Before she could stop herself, Rachel jumped from the bushes and shouted, "ERIN!"

The man and Erin jumped, turning to look at the bushes. However, Erin lost her balance and fell over the side of the cliff. Rachel watched in horror as the man stood up and peered over, shouting, "ERIN!"

Jack jumped up and tried to force Rachel down, but the man caught sight of both of them and shouted, "HEY! YOU TWO!"

As he began to run towards them, Jack grabbed a stricken Rachel's hands and muttered, "Time to go!"

Quickly, they ran down the hill towards the city, the man following behind them. When they reached the dock's bridge, they hid in the shadows, the man running right past them. Once they watched him run off, Rachel saw the ripples in the water from where Erin fell in. "JACK!" she shouted, pointing at the ripples.

Jack glanced at the ripples and removed his hat, placing it over his black heart. "She shall be missed."

Angry, Rachel glared at him. Fearing her glare, he replied, "I mean, you stay here while I go get her!"

Quickly, he removed his jacket, weapons and hat and ran along the beach, diving into the water when he was sure he was close enough to the spot. Rachel ran down the beach, Jack's affects in hand, and watched as Jack rose towards the surface with an unconscious Erin in his arms. Rachel waded into the water as Jack got closer to the beach. Once he was able to stand and carry her, Rachel walked next to him and watched as he sat her down on the beach. "Is she breathing?" asked Rachel.

Jack leant down to her mouth and shook his head. "Can't you blow air into her lungs or something?" asked Rachel.

Jack looked up at Rachel in confusion. "That implies me actually…you know…"

"JUST DO IT!"

Jack jumped in fright and stared down Erin in fear. As he opened her mouth, he went in and backed off in disgust. Finally, he gave in, closed his eyes and placed his mouth on hers, blowing air in. Erin choked up water as Jack jumped back gagging. As Erin choked for air, Rachel knelt down next to her and smiled, "Erin!"

When Erin's eyes finally fell on Rachel, she asked in shock, "Rachel?"

That's when a gold glint caught Rachel's eye. Looking down, she saw a pirate medallion hanging around Erin's neck. She immediately recognized it and muttered, "Jack, look!"

Jack looked at the medallion and scurried next to her, holding the medallion in his hands. "Where did you get that?"

But Erin was cut short when a group of marines surrounded them, accompanied by the man who had chased them. "Erin! Are you alright?" asked Will, running up to her and helping her to her feet.

Erin nodded, not taking her eyes of Rachel and Jack. The leader pointed his sword at the two and asked, "Who are you?"

"Well, uh…you see…" began Rachel.

"They were the ones who saved my life, Commodore" interjected Erin, not taking her eyes off of them.

"But, Erin, they were…" began the man.

"It wasn't their fault! I lost my balance."

Rachel smiled. Leave it to Erin to lie. The Commodore nodded and lowered his sword. Outstretching his hand to Jack, he smiled, "I believe thanks are in order."

Jack hesitated but finally took the outstretched hand. The Commodore yanked down on Jack's hand and rolled up his sleeve to reveal the pirate branded on his arm. "Have a rush in with the East India Trading Company, did we, pirates?"

Rachel and Jack cringed at their finding out. "Fetch me some irons!"

Rolling up the sleeve further, he revealed the tattoo on Jack's arm. "Ah, Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please," smiled Jack.

Both Rachel and Erin rolled their eyes discretely. "Well I don't see your ship, Captain."

"I'm in the market, as it were. You see, my previous ship, _The Black Pearl,_" began Jack.

"_The Black Pearl_? Ah yes, the imaginary ship. You are the worst pirate I have ever heard of."

Jack held up his fingers and smiled, "But you have heard of me!"

As his lieutenant arrived back with two irons, the Commodore took both and managed to lock them around both Rachel and Jack's wrist. As he fastened them around Rachel's, Jack interjected, "That lass, you so claim to protect, she's a pirate too!"

Erin glared evilly at him as the Commodore turned to look at her. "Is that true, Erin?"

Before Erin could say anything, the man shouted, "Of course not! He's a pirate! Whose word are you going to take? A pirate's or hers?"

Erin smiled weakly. Funny he should say that. After all, given who she was. The Commodore nodded and turned back to Jack, smiling, "Nice try, Sparrow."

"Well, it was worth a shot," sighed Jack as he suddenly pushed through aside the officer standing next to him and began to run. As they were busy with Jack, Rachel tried to run in the opposite direction, but two officers blocked her path. "And where do you think you're going, missy?" asked one of them.

"No where," she replied innocently as she managed to punch one of them in the face and kick the other aside. As she ran, however, two more men jumped in front of her and pointed their swords at her. She tried to walk backwards, but was blocked on either side. The man she originally punched, who was now bleeding from the nose, ordered, "Lock her in the prison cells!"

As they led her away, she turned and looked at Erin, who was being led away by the man. Erin's eyes met Rachel's and gave her the I'm-sorry look. Rachel rolled her eyes and allowed herself to be led away. As they walked, the lieutenant smiled, "I feel a good hanging, tomorrow morning."

Rachel smiled weakly as they walked to the fort.

TBC…

**Please R&R!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Glad you guys like this story. For some reason, I went back into my Pirates mood and I haven't watched the movies for months, so I'm not sure exactly what set that off, but it's good for you guys.**

**Chapter 8**

Together, Erin and Will walked back from the beach through town towards the smithy. All the while, Erin couldn't believe what had happened. Rachel and Jack were here in Port Royal! She was happy, but nervous. With them here, she could be exposed at any minute. They already tried, but with Will's help, she was saved…that time. The wind picked up, causing Erin to pull Will's coat closer over her soaking clothes. As she tried to keep warm, she felt Will place an arm around her shoulders. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

Erin nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've had a somewhat of a trying day. Being proposed to, falling off a cliff, being accused of piracy…I guess today just wasn't your day."

Erin gave a small smile as they walked through the doors into the smithy. Everything looked exactly the same for when they left it, except the donkey was working. Will quickly jumped down to calm her as Erin hung Will's coat on a nearby hook. Mr. Brown sat asleep in his chair, drunk, no doubt. Erin smiled as she said, "Right where we left you."

She was about to walk into the back loft to change when Will asked, "Did you leave the hammer here?"

Erin spun around on her heel and walked over to see that indeed a hammer had been left on an anvil. However, she hadn't left it out; neither had Will and Mr. Brown didn't touch any of the tools. Erin shook her head. Something didn't sit quite right with Erin about this. She was about to put it back when she noticed a hat sitting behind it. Not just any hat…Jack's hat! How did his hat end up in the shop? She was just about to pick it up when she felt a blade being pressed against her neck. She knew who it was, but she was still shocked. Will must have heard the twang of the sword when if flew in the air and turned to see her being held host by Jack Sparrow. "Ah! Nice to see you two again!" she smiled his gold grin.

"Jack, let go," muttered Erin without moving her lips.

"Why would I do that? You're my ticket out of here."

"Let her go," stated Will with a look of anger in his eyes.

Jack looked Will up and down and asked, "You seem somewhat familiar…have I threatened you before?"

_Of course he looks familiar! He's Bootstrap's son,_ thought Erin. "I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates."

"Ah, then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record, so if you'll excuse us…oof!"

Erin had elbowed Jack in his stomach, causing him to loose his grip on her. Once she was free, Will took his chance while Jack was still disoriented by grabbing a sword from the sword rack and pointing it at him. Erin, in the mean time, ran to the side by the sword rack and watched from afar. Jack, however, seemed amused by Will's appearance with a sword. "You think this wise, boy? Crossing blades with a pirate?"

_He's already done that! _She quickly thought to herself as Will raised his sword higher and replied, "You threatened Erin."

Jack smiled as he pressed his blade against Will's and ran it up and down the blade. Once he stopped the movement, he replied, "Only a little."

And she watched as Jack attacked with Will defending himself with grace. Once Jack was done attacking, Will went in for his attack. Erin knew Jack was a good fighter…and so was Will. She was curious to see how the battle would fare. When Will twirled his and Jack's blade in a circle, Jack backed off and smiled, "You know what you're doing, I'll give you that. Excellent form."

Then he put his blade to Will's. "But how is your footwork? If I step here…"

Jack took a step and the two men did a graceful dance with their swords and came to a stop. "Very good! Now I step again!"

This time, the dance went a bit longer until Jack's back was facing the door. To intimidate Will, he lunged, only to have Will block. And with that, he smiled and whispered, "Ta!"

Erin knew the trick Jack had played and watched as Jack made his way towards the door. But Will wasn't going to let him go that easily. So, he brought back his hand and flung his sword at the door. The blade nearly missed Jack's head and embedded itself above the latch to the door. Jack tried to pry it out and get away, but the sword was to well in the wood. Turning on his heel, he smiled, "That is a wonderful trick! But once again, you are between me and my way out and now…"

After he jumped in front of Will with his sword out, he finished, "You have no weapon."

Erin was about to throw him a sword when he took the newly made sword from the furnace…the blade still red hot from the fire. Jack's eyes went cross-eyed as he stared at the red heat emitting from the blade and the donkey began to do her circle yet again. Erin quickly jumped aside from the donkey as Will and Jack engaged in a long, furious battle. Erin knew to stay out of a battle between two men from first hand experience. She had the scar to prove it. Will's sword got caught in Jack's chains and Jack quickly disarmed Will. When he went for the attack, Will jumped with a flip over the moving wood frame of the contraption as Erin threw him a new sword. Will quickly caught Jack's next advancement with his new sword, causing Jack to look down at the sword rack. "Who makes all these?" he asked in amazement.

Will jumped on the platform and replied, "We do!"

Will switched from one side to another, stating, "And we practice with them…"

After switching once more, he nearly missed Jack's attempt of throwing a hammer at him and replied, "Three hours a day."

"You need to find yourself a girl, mate!"

After jumping back, Jack went after him. Quickly, she knew that things could go sour at any minute and she quickly ran to the back loft to get her affects. Once she had them all, she ran back to the front and saw Will and Jack face to face and could hear Jack state, "Or, perhaps you already found one and are otherwise incapable of wooing, said Strumpet. You're not a eunuch, are you?"

Erin saw that Will was a little surprised at what Jack said. It wasn't the eunuch proclamation, but the idea of him already finding one. Did he mean Erin? But Will shook it off and replied, "I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate…I CAN KILL IT!"

Jack looked amused and pushed Will off. Erin stood by, watching as they continued, the blows coming harder and harder. Then Will found his chance. He slipped his sword into Jack's chains, got them tangled with the blade and stuck it in the rafter above. It looked like Will had the fight won. But Jack found a loose plank and stomped on it hard, hitting Will in the face. Erin quickly ran over to where Will had fallen and asked, "Are you alright?"

Will just shook it off and ran back onto the ramp when Jack fell, causing the end where Will was standing to fly up and send him into the rafters. Erin looked at Jack in shock as he smirked at her…until Will cut the ropes to a bag of barrels and sent Jack up at the same time. Now they were fighting to maintain their balance and kill the other. Erin watched as Will quickly dispatched Jack and the pirate swung down onto the ground to find a new weapon. Will smoothly landed on the ground and went to finish what he had started until Jack took the bag of brown powder they used and blinding Will. While Will was dazed, Jack kicked the sword from his hand and pulled out his pistol. Will turned with a hammer at the ready, only to see a pistol in his face. "You cheated!"

"Pirate!"

Suddenly, they heard pounding coming from the door to the smithy. They couldn't open it, due to Will's sword still jammed in the door. Will stepped in front of Jack's next escape as Jack ordered, "Move away!"

"No."

Rolling his eyes, he asked, "Please move!"

"NO! I can't just step aside and let you escape!"

Jack rolled his eyes and cocked back his pistol, gritting, "This shot is not meant for you!"

Will looked confused as suddenly, a loud thump emitted from behind Jack and he fell over unconscious. Erin had snuck behind Jack and hit him on the head with the butt of her pistol. Before Will could ask where she got the pistol, the doors burst open and Norrington came running in with his men right behind him. His men surround the unconscious Jack with their guns pointed as Norrington approaches Erin and smiles, "Well done, Miss Daniels."

"Well…it was actually both me and Will's."

"Of course it was." Will rolled his eyes as he looked down at Jack and smiled, "I believe you will always remember this as the day Captain Jack Sparrow ALMOST escaped. Take him away."

Both Erin and Will watched as the soldiers dragged Jack to his feet and dragged him away. Once they were gone, Will asked, "Where did you get that pistol?"

"I nicked it off the back of his trousers. Pirates always have a spare somewhere," she lied.

Will smiled and walked away, leaving Erin to watch as the soldiers sent Jack off to his doom…something she had helped do.

* * *

Rachel sat in the cells, completely ignoring the whistles of the men next to her. The door to the cells opened and she had hoped it was Jack coming to her rescue, but was shocked to see it was Jack, but unconscious and being escorted in by soldiers. They opened the door to her cell and threw his limp body into the cell with her. Once he was in, they closed the door and left them. Rachel scurried over to the unconscious form and asked, "Jack?"

But he didn't respond. Rolling her eyes, she then proceeded to say, "I got a bottle of rum for you."

His eyes quickly opened and he asked, "Where?"

With another roll of the eyes, she scurried back a bit to allow him to take in their situation. Jack looked around and muttered, "The traitorous wench! I'll kill her!"

"Well, first you have to get us out of here. They're going to hang us in the morning. So if you want to kill Erin, think of something witty to get us out of here."

Jack looked at her and asked, "Why don't you? I just lost a battle with a whelp and was betrayed by a wench! I have a headache…YOU come up with a brilliant plan!"

Angry, Rachel punched Jack in the jaw. "How's that idea?"

Rubbing his aching jaw, he replied, "That idea hurts!"

"Good, now get your act together and think of a way out of here!"

Jack stood up from his spot on the ground and stared at the metal door that was entrapping them. After staring at it for long enough, he pointed a finger up and shouted, "I got it!"

Rachel looked up hopefully, but her hopes diminished when Jack walked to the back wall of the cell to sit on the stone bench. Rachel couldn't believe what she just saw. Standing up, she walked over to where he was sitting and asked, "This is your brilliant plan? Sit and do nothing?"

"Precisely. Good things come to those who wait."

"You never wait!"

"Maybe not, but since we know Erin is here, maybe she'll plan our escape for us."

Rachel rolled her eyes and sat down next to him. After a moment of silence, she gritted, "If Erin doesn't come by tomorrow morning, I will personally kill you myself."

And with that, they sat through the night, wondering if Erin was planning their miraculous escape.

TBC…

**Please R&R!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

It was late that night in Port Royal. In the courtyard of the fort, the marines were setting up the gallows with two nooses, preparing for the hanging for the morning. In the cells, Rachel sat, twirling her fingers, waiting to see if Erin would come and rescue them. But no help came. She continued to get nervous minute after minute. Jack, on the other hand, was quite content. Clearly, he wasn't worried. In the blacksmith shop, Will and Erin were hard at work, preparing swords and other metal handicrafts that needed to be built. The wind outside began to pick up and an eerie fog began to roll in. Erin was curious as to what was happening and opened the wooden shutter to peer outside. The entire town was deserted with only a black cat running down the town. As she peered outside, she heard the sound of a cannon and a blast hitting the side of the fort. The sky lit up with red. Will came over and asked, "What's happening?"

The guns sounded familiar. Quickly, she closed the shutter and grabbed her coat to run down to the port without answering Will. Will didn't run after her, but watched from the door as she disappeared into the night. When she reached the dock, she saw an eerie sight. In front of her in the bay was a black ghost ship firing cannons at the town. Four long boats were making their way from the ship towards shore. When she saw the ship, she immediately recognized it. It was _The Black Pearl_. Quickly, she ran back to the smithy to grab her weapons and hide. Little did she know that they were here for the gold medallion hanging around her neck.

* * *

As Jack and Rachel sat in their cell, they heard the blast of the guns. Rachel seemed a bit shocked by the sound, but Jack was more intrigued. "I know those guns," he muttered as he jumped to his feet and peered through the barred window.

Rachel jumped up next to him and saw the ghost ship in the port. "Is that…?"

"It's _The Pearl!_" he smiled.

The convicts in the other cell walked over and asked, "_The Black Pearl_? I've heard stories. They've been raiding ships and settlements for nearly ten years. Never leaves any survivors."

"No survivors? Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?" smiled Jack as he turned to look at the man.

Rachel knew where those stories came from. It was from the man standing next to her. They continued to watch as the ship fired on the port. Suddenly, they saw a cannonball heading their way. Jack grabbed Rachel by the arm and threw her down onto the ground as the cannonball hit the side of the prison and caused several chunks of concrete to fly. Once the rubble had settled, Rachel and Jack looked at the big gaping hole in the wall in the cell NEXT to them and as those prisoners escaped. The one they talked to earlier said, "Salutations, you have no manner of luck at all."

Once they were gone, Jack walked up to the hole that was barely open in their side and pressed his face against it. Angry, Rachel found a small piece of concrete and kicked it, causing a serious amount of pain to erupt in her foot. "Bloody cannon! YOU COULDN'T HAVE AIMED FARTHER TO THE RIGHT!" she shouted in the cell.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside, Erin quickly ran back into the smithy just as Will asked, "What's happening?"

"We're being invaded by pirates," she replied, running into the back loft to grab her belt that held both her pistol and her sword. Once she had obtained those items, she grabbed an extra sword and was just about to run out when she saw Will grab a sword and an axe. "What are ye…" she began.

Running up to her, he replied, "I'm not going to let you have all the fun, now, am I?"

Erin smiled as they ran out into the streets and saw the pirates flooding the area and burning shops and homes. Will watched as a pirate began chasing a woman and grabbed his axe, taking aim. Once he had him in his line, he threw, embedding the axe into the pirate's back. As he and Erin ran together through town towards his axe, Erin stated, "Nice aim."

Together, they began to fight off as many pirates as they could. As they fought, Erin continued to wonder why those pirates she had previously taken down were managing to get back up and continue their quest. It didn't seem right. It wasn't until she saw two pirates run into an alley that she left Will's side and chased them down. When she caught up with them, she recognized immediately who they were. It was Pintel and Ragetti. However, when they saw her, they didn't recognize her. "Careful where you're going, poppet," sneered Pintel.

"Yeah, you don' wan to get yerself hurt," added Ragetti.

"Trust me, I won't!"

Taking out her two swords, she engaged in a battle with them. She considered it payback for mutinying her with Jack on that island eight years ago. As she fought them off, she didn't realize the gold medallion that remained hidden under her tunic had come to the forefront and revealed itself. But Pintel and Ragetti did. When they caught glimpse of it, they smiled an evil smile. Erin noticed their grin and looked down to see what they were staring at and her eyes opened wide in realization of what they were after. The medallion! Looking up, she saw them smiling even wider and she quickly pushed them off, running in the opposite direction. "Oi! Get back here, you!" she heard Pintel shout.

She continued to run with the two pirates behind her, hoping to lose them.

* * *

Jack had finally given up on his plan to wait and had decided to try and get the dog with the keys to come closer. Slowly, he reached out of his cell to the bone the other inmates had used to try and lure the dog and stuck it out of his own cell. "Jack, what are you…?" began Rachel when Jack cut her off by whistling.

Rachel looked around to see the old dog lying on the opposite side of the prison. "Come here, doggy!" whistled Jack.

"Jack, he didn't come for the others, what makes you think…" but she stopped when she saw the dog slowly making his way over towards their cell. Rachel smiled as Jack continued to coo it over. The dog just stopped in front of their cell when Jack said, "Come on you filthy, slimy, mangy cat!"

Rachel hit Jack over the head when suddenly, a loud crashing noise came from upstairs, sending the dog away. "No! Come back! I didn't mean…" began Jack until two pirates came running down the stairs.

Jack and Rachel looked up to see Twigg and Koehler. As they looked around, Twigg exclaimed, "This ain't the armory!"

But Koehler didn't seem to care that they were in the wrong space. He was more interested in Jack and Rachel. "Well, well, look wha' we 'ave here, Twigg. Cap'n Jack Sparrow and Miss Rachel Stratton."

Koehler spit in their cell as Twigg smiled, "Last I saw of Sparrow, you were shrinking into the distant with that Erin girl. Your fortunes haven't improved much."

Rachel wished she could have punched them through her cell, but she was pushed back by Jack. "Worry bout your own fortunes, mate. The deepest layer of Hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers."

That didn't sit too well with Koehler. Quickly, he reached in and grabbed Jack around the neck. However, what was shocking was that as soon as his arm appeared in the moonlight, all they saw was bones. Rachel jumped back as Jack looked down and said, "So there is a curse! That's interesting."

"You know nothing of Hell!"

Koehler pushed back on Jack and left with Twigg up the stairs. As soon as they were gone, Jack looked at the bone in his hand and said, "That's very interesting."

"You told me that curse was only a myth!"

Jack turned and smiled at Rachel. "That's what I thought…until now."

* * *

Erin continued to run through the streets with Pintel and Ragetti closing in. She had just ran into an alley when she saw it was blocked off by rubble from a building. Turning, she saw Pintel and Ragetti blocking her exit. _Think like Jack…think like Jack! _Looking around, she saw a sign for a shop hanging low and a stepping stone from the destroyed building. Then the idea came to her face and, with one sword sheathed and the other in her hand, she ran forward, used the stone to jump off and grab the sign. Once she had a hold on the metal hanger, she swung herself forward, over the two amazed pirates, did a front flip and turned to smile at them before running off. She thought she was in the clear until she saw pirates surrounding her. Quickly, she ran into the nearest building and slammed the door, locking it with her sword. As she backed up, she took out her other sword and watched as the door began to try to open. They were going to get in. She looked for a way out, but they managed to get the door open and corner her. But Erin wasn't going down without a fight! She tried to fight them off, but there were too many. _Think like Jack…think like Jack!_ Then, she threw down her sword, put her hands up in surrender and shouted, "Parley!"

Pintel and Ragetti stopped their approach. Erin knew they were bound by the Pirates' Code and that Parley was an easy way of avoiding something horrible. "What did you say?"

"Parley!"

"How do you know about Parley?" asked Pintel.

_Quick, lie! _"My father was a pirate. He taught me all the things you need to know about them. You've got no choice. You're bound by the code."

Erin smiled. She was saved…for now. Ragetti didn't seem to care. "Blazes with the code!"

"She wants to be taken to the Captain…then she'll go without a fuss. We must honor the code," sneered Pintel.

Together, they grabbed her by the arms and drug her out through town towards the docks. As she was being dragged through the streets, she turned her head and saw Will heading her way. However, he was stopped by another pirate and unable to reach her. Things were only going to get worse from there. They threw her into the longboat and made their way towards the ship. When they arrived, she climbed up the ladder and saw the pirates hard at work attacking the town. When they got on, the bosun came forward and said, "_The Pearl_ is not known for taking on captives."

"She's invoked the right of Parley with Cap'n Barbossa!" replied Pintel.

Erin just gave a smirk as he nodded in understandment. Quickly he stepped aside and Erin watched as the oh-so familiar Captain Barbossa came forward. She only hoped they didn't recognize her. When Captain Barbossa came into full view, Erin noticed he hadn't changed must since their last encounter. Erin recognized him, but he didn't recognize her. "It's a strange sight having a beauty like you invoking parley. What are ye here for, Miss?"

Taking a deep breath, Erin replied, "I'm here to negotiate your hostility towards our port."

It was just like something Jack would say. Smiling, Barbossa said, "Them are a lot of long words and we're naught but humble pirates. What is it that ye want?"

"Leave…leave and never come back."

All the pirates aboard _The Black Pearl_ erupted in laughter. With a smile, Barbossa replied, "I'm going to have to disincline to acquiesce your request."

Now it was Erin's turn to be confused. "Means no."

With anger, Erin yanked the medallion from around her neck and walked over to the railing threatening, "IF you don't, I'll drop it!"

With a firm grip, Erin held it over the railing, ready to drop the gold medallion. There was a look of worry in all their eyes. Barbossa shook it off and replied, "Me holds are bursting with sag. That bit of shine matters to us?...Why?"

"This is what you're searching for! The moment that Pin…" Erin quickly stopped herself. She almost gave herself away. Thinking of a quick like, she stated, "The moment that pinhead with the wooden eye and his homunculus belligerent friend laid eyes on it, their eyes glimmered like gold. But if it really is worthless, I guess I have no use for it."

Erin loosened her grip on the medallion, letting it slip a little further out of her hand. The moment the necklace slipped, the entire crew lurched forward. After she quickly caught it, she gave them her all-knowing smirk. With a subtle chuckle, Barbossa stepped forward. Erin coiled the necklace in her hand as he asked, "You have a name, missy?"

Well, Erin couldn't tell them her real name; she'd expose herself. Thinking quick on her feet, she replied, "Erika Turner. I am the blacksmith here in Port Royal."

Erika was the name of her mother in London and she knew Bootstrap sailed with Barbossa…maybe she could get some respect if she claimed she was his daughter. Barbossa turned to the crew and smiled, "Miss Turner!"

The crew began to mutter amongst themselves. Barbossa turned back to Erin and asked, "And how does a blacksmith come to own a trinket such as that? Family heirloom, perhaps?"

"I didn't steal it, if that's what you mean."

"Very well, you hand it over and we put your town to our rudder and ne'er return."

Barbossa outstretched his grimy hand. Reluctantly, Erin let the medallion fall into his palm. Once the necklace was in his hand, he handed it to a monkey she had never seen before. She watched as the monkey swung away and asked, "Our bargain?"

Barbossa nodded to his bosun who began to shout orders to leave. However, they weren't taking her ashore. "Barbossa, you have to take me back to shore! You're bound by the code!"

"First off, your return to shore was not part of our agreement, so it must do nothing."

Erin hit herself over the head mentally as he continued, "Second, you must be a pirate for the pirates' code to apply and you're not!"

Wrong! "And third, the code is more like guidelines than the natural rules. Welcome aboard _The Black Pearl,_ Miss Turner!"

Before Pintel and Ragetti could lay a finger on her, Erin ran forward and went to punch him with her gritting, "You lying bastard!"

She went for the punch, only to have her fist caught in midair by Barbossa. "Not a wise move, Miss. Masters Pintel and Ragetti, lock her in the brig so she doesn't cause anymore trouble."

And with that, Pintel and Ragetti took Erin by the arms and dragged her down the stairs and threw her in the brig.

TBC…

**Please R&R!**


End file.
